The music of The Muppets has connected generations for decades, and during a special D23 panel, fans got to hear stories behind some of the songs that helped make The Muppets what they are today..
Father-daughter duo Leonard and Jessie Maltin moderated the conversation, which featured legendary songwriter Paul Williams and actor, writer and musician Seth MacFarlane. The group looked back at the history of The Muppets while also discussing Seth’s upcoming album, Seth MacFarlane Sings The Muppets.
Leonard started by sharing his first connection to Jim Henson and The Muppets. He was asked to interview Jim and Frank Oz, and when he arrived, he got to watch the first-ever performance of “Rubber Duckie.”
The conversation then turned to Paul, who wrote some of the most recognizable songs connected to The Muppets, including “Rainbow Connection.”
Paul talked about working with Kenny Ascher and how they would write the lyrics and music together in the same room at the same time.
He also remembered his first appearance on The Muppet Show and what it was like working with the characters. The Muppets weren’t treated like puppets on a set. They were their own characters, and the actors interacted and had conversations with them that way. The group also talked about just how difficult puppeteering is and the talent it takes to bring those characters to life.
Paul then shared the story behind “Rainbow Connection.”
When he first arrived to work with the Muppets, Paul remembered being welcomed into what felt like a little gang, complete with a treehouse atmosphere. He met with the creative team and heard about the opening scene of The Muppet Movie, which would feature Kermit sitting alone in a swamp.
Jim described wanting something for Kermit that could have the same kind of feeling as “When You Wish Upon a Star.”
From there, “Rainbow Connection” began to take shape. Paul talked about the deeper meaning behind the song and the idea of searching for answers in life.
The audience then watched Kermit perform “Rainbow Connection” from The Muppet Movie, which marked Kermit’s big-screen debut.
Paul also sang a few verses of some familiar songs during the panel.
Leonard, Jessie, Paul and Seth shared their own memories of hearing some of these songs or watching the movies for the first time. Many of the stories showed how closely Muppet music can be tied to a particular time or memory.
Paul also talked about working with Jim and how much trust Jim placed in the people around him. He allowed people to do their craft and trusted that they knew what they were doing.
That approach to the music carried into the discussion about Seth’s new album.
Seth, known for Family Guy, American Dad! and The Orville, has a deep appreciation for the music and radio of the 1940s and 1950s, something that heavily influenced the sound he wanted for Seth MacFarlane Sings The Muppets.
The group explained that many of the original charts from classic songs of that era, including music such as “Over the Rainbow” and “Singin’ in the Rain,” no longer exist. If musicians want to perform those arrangements today, they have to be recreated.
For Seth’s album, conductor John Wilson and arranger Andrew Cottee worked to recreate that classic sound. Roughly half of the orchestra came from London and the other half from the United States, with the album recorded at Skywalker Ranch.
“It is absolute time travel,” Paul said while talking about hearing the music performed this way.
Fans then got to hear a clip of Seth performing “Rainbow Connection” from the new album.
Seth explained that part of the reason he wanted to make the album was because he felt these songs should be sung this way. Rather than modernizing them, the goal was to bring back that easygoing orchestral sound of the 1940s and 1950s and let the songs speak for themselves.
One song that was especially difficult to cut from the project was “Saying Goodbye.”
The conversation also touched on keeping a sense of youthfulness and wonder as you get older. Paul spoke about staying grateful, being generous and continuing to look at life with that sense of wonder.
Paul and Seth also discussed how difficult it can be to write music that works without being tied to a specific genre or relying on extra production. When a song doesn’t have all the bells and whistles around it, the melody and lyrics have to carry everything.
At one point, Paul summed up Seth’s connection to this style of music by telling him, “You have felt it in your DNA.”
Seth MacFarlane Sings The Muppets is a 14-track collection celebrating the music of Jim Henson’s characters. The album is set to be released September 18, 2026, through Verve Records and Republic Records, as The Muppet Show celebrates its 50th anniversary.
The panel gave fans a chance to hear the stories behind songs that have been part of The Muppets for decades while also getting a preview of how Seth is bringing them to a new album.
From Paul sharing the origins of “Rainbow Connection” to hearing Seth’s new orchestral take on the song, it was a celebration of music that continues to mean something to Muppet fans generations after it was first written.
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